The New Zealand Mint is responsible for producing popular .999 pure silver coins like the Fiji Taku and Hawksbill Turtle. The mint is one of the newer mints in the South Pacific at just over four decades old, but it has already distinguished itself with its beautiful coin designs. Located in Auckland, the mint is the only privately owned mint in New Zealand and manufactures legal tender commemorative coins and bullion coins for investing and collecting. It is New Zealand’s only precious metals mint. It is perhaps best known among collectors for its extremely popular Disney and Dr. Who lines of commemorative coins.

The mint offers a highly desirable line of bullion coins featuring designs inspired by Pacific marine life, specifically the Niue Hawksbill Turtle, or taku, in local vernacular. These 1 troy ounce coins of 99.9% purity have a nominal face value of $2 NZD.

While the New Zealand Mint does strike coins with legal value, they do not mint the official New Zealand dollar. The Royal British Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint perform this service for the Federal Reserve Bank of New Zealand. The mint opened a bullion exchange in 2009, the first of its kind in New Zealand, and offers customers physical storage facilities for their precious metals.

New Zealand Silver Coin Designs

One of the more desirable and widely collectible coins is the New Zealand Silver Fiji Taku coin, which debuted in 2010. The front of the coin, or obverse, depicts a sea turtle coasting through the ocean. The turtle’s flippers and shell are decorated with a cleverly rendered series of modern swirls and geometric shapes. Several small and large bubbles encircle the turtle, continuing the swirled themes. The lower two-thirds of the coin has a grainy finish, echoing the sand at the bottom of the ocean. The words ‘Turtle,” and “Fine Silver .999 One Ounce” round on the design on the obverse side.

On the back, the Taku displays the famous Ian Rank-Broadley profile of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The coin bears her name, the year of minting, and the denomination, “Two Dollars,” on the reverse side.

In 2013, the mint replaced the profile of Her Majesty in a special edition of the Taku. As a tribute to the country and its heritage, the reverse of the 2013 coin displays the coat of arms of Fiji. The Fijian coat of arms depicts two warriors, one with a spear, the other with a club, the lion passant guardant, a coconut palm, a bunch of bananas, sugar cane, and a dove. Resting on top of the coat of arms is a Fijian canoe while below it is a banner with the words, “Rerevaka na kalou ka doka na Tui,” or “Fear God and honour the Queen.” Text ringing the design include the coin’s year of minting, country of origin, and denomination. The Taku was retired after the 2013 minting and replaced in 2014 with the silver Niue Hawksbill coin.

The 2014 Silver Niue Hawksbill Turtle Coin was released to honor the island of Niue. The stylized depiction of the sea turtle swimming through the ocean remains on the obverse of the coin, but the words “Fiji Taku” have been replaced with the simple word “turtle.” The reverse side of the coin displays the familiar effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, along with the denomination and year of minting.

Both the silver Taku and the Niue Hawksbill coins contain one troy ounce of .999 pure silver.

Buying Silver New Zealand Mint Coins at Silver.com

The silver Taku and the Niue Hawksbill coins are available at Silver.com, both individually and in mint lots. We purchase our silver New Zealand mint coins directly from the mint in order to ensure only the highest quality and authenticity of the products. The coins are shipped in “monster boxes,” which contain 500 coins stored in 25 tubes of 20 coins each. When you purchase these coins in 20-count lots, you will receive them in their mint packaging. Individual coins are shipped in sturdy plastic cases that protect them during shipping and also provide an attractive display case.

The New Zealand Silver Taku and Niue Hawksbill coins are produced each year in limited quantities; only 350,000 coins were released in 2013, and the 2014 Hawksbill coin was restricted to just 200,000. These coins were designed to call attention to the plight of the endangered sea turtle; they make excellent birthday or Christmas gifts for the animal lover and conservationist. These coins are also favored by collectors around the world.

Silver New Zealand Mint coins are a great way to introduce silver bullion into your investment portfolio, whether you’re a novice investor or already have a well-established portfolio. The one ounce size, high purity, and limited release quantities make it attractive to investors and collectors alike.

If you are interested in purchasing these coins or any of our other precious metals bullion coins and bars, contact us at 1-888-989-7223 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. We also offer a handy online chat feature. Our helpful customer service agents will be happy to answer any questions you have about these beautiful coins.